Double handle tobacco stick



oa. 27, 1964l W. A. MISH, JR

DOUBLE HANDLE TOBACCO STICK Filed Nov. 14, 1962 'Y wf,

/W 4M w 25 FIG.I.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,154,335 nonnen nannte ronacco stick winiam A. Misa, n., no. BX 264, washington, rte. rated Nov. i4, i952, ser. No. 237,705 2 claims. (ci. 294-55) rI'he present invention relates to handling means for tobacco and more particularly to tobacco sticks or laths used to hold tobacco leaves for curing, `and is a continuation-in-part of my prior co-pending application Serial No. 129,706, filed August 7, 1961, now Patent Number 3,107,018.

The tobacco stick of this application described in part in the above-identified parent application consists of la pair of bars pivoted together at one end with a novel arrangement of piercing spikes for penetrating the leaf portion of a tobacco leaf, with means to hold the bars together in closed position, and with special handle means at each end to support the same in a curing rack.

This invention also provides novel improvements in the spike arranfements at each end of the stick to provide for greater support of the tobacco leaves at the extreme ends of the stick, since the end leaves are more exposed during handling and if not given additional support often the end leaves tear out 'and drop from the stick.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of indicator means on the stick handle, whereby it may be determined at a glance which end of the stick opens to facilitate quick handling.

With the above features in view, the present invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts in the figures:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a tobacco curing stick illustrating the securing of the leaf tobacco therein by the broad leaf portion of the leaf below the stem area;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation View of the tobacco stick showing the pivoted member for holding the stick bars together;

FIGURE 3 is a section View taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2 of the tobacco stick closed with a collection of tobacco leaves therein for curing;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing there is shown a tobacco stick comprised of two bars 16 and 19. The bar 16 is formed with an elongated spike end keeper groove 17 throughout its length. This groove is for receiving the ends of spaced spikes 1S on the complementary tobacco stick bar 19.

The two tobacco stick bars 16 and 19 are connected by means of a pair of U-shaped clamps 20 and 21. U-shaped clamp 2G being fastened to the bar 16 by means of suitable means, such as 22 and being fastened tothe bar 19 by means of a pivot pin 23. The U-clamp 21 is fastened to the bar 19 by a pivot pin 24 and since the clamp 21 is not secured to bar 16 it is allowed to swing on the pivot pin 24 to :a position to retain the bars in parallel relation or to swing olf the end of the bar 16 to permit the bar 19 to be swung on its pivot pin 23. A dish-shaped spring washer 24a may be provided on the pivot pin 24 between the side of bar 19 and the inner side of one leg of the U-clamp 21 to friotionally hold the clamp to any released position.

Each of the bars 16 and 19 are of substantially the same length, however, their respective vertically spaced ends are stepped or staggered and complementary so that, for example in FIGURE 2, one right end of the bar 19 extends beyond one adjacent right end of the bar 16 to provide a handle 26 and so that one lleft end of the bar 16 extends beyond one adjacent left end of the bar 19 to provide a second handle 27 at the opposite end of the stick.

The provision of these handles greatly facilitates the handling .and support of the stick prior to and after loading with the tobacco leaves 25. Itis to be noted that only the bars at one end of `stick Iare separable for the loading operating to swing on pivot pin 23. Since the ends of the stick when the same is clamped closed by the swinging clamp 21 `are identical in appearance the handle at the separable or opening end is suitably marked to distinguish this end from the opposite non-separable end at clamp 20. This marking may be by any suitable means and as illustrated in FGURE 2 the same is painted on the handle 26 at the separable end section at 311.

The bar 19 carries the plurality of spaced spikes 1S and these spikes are so spaced and proportioned as to penetrate the tobacco leaves in the large leafy part 33 of a tobacco leaf 25, below the leaf section 34 of the stem area 35 when the leaves 25 -are positioned properly on the bar 16. Also, the spikes 18 at each end include at least one additional spike 31 and 32, respectively. The provision of the extra spikes at each end gives the leaves on the extreme ends more support, as the end leaves are more exposed during handling and are more likely to tear and dropout.

Without further description it is believed that the advantages of ythe present invention over the prior art is apparent and while only one embodiment of the same is illustrated, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited there-to as various changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of the parts illustrated, as will now likely appear to others and those skilled in the yart. For a definition of the scope or limits of the nvention, reference should be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco stick for suspending tobacco leaves with spikes through their upper broad leaf sections below the leaf sections of Itheir stem, comprising a pair of bars pivoted together at one end to open and parallel opposed positions, said bars being complementary and supported in staggered relation to each other when moved to parallel opposed position to provide a handle .at each end thereof, one of said bars having a plurality of longitudinally spaced elongated laligned spikes projecting therefrom and the other of said bars being formed with an elongated countersunk portion for receiving the ends of said spikes when the bars are together, and means to hold the said bars together, to thereby pierce and retain the upper broad leaf sections of tobacco leaves therein, said bars being pivoted together at one end in spaced relation in a U-shaped clamp and wherein said bars are separable at their respective opposite ends for retention together by said holding means, a pivot for said holding means, said holding means being swingable on said pivot to and from a bar holding posi-tion, and a friction element on said pivot engageable with a portion of said holding means and a portion of one of said hars adapted to frictionally retain said holding means in any position to which the same is moved.

2. A tobacco stick for suspending tobacco leaves with spikes through their upper broad leaf sections below the leaf sections of their stem as described in claim 1, wherein said longitudinally spaced elongated aligned spikes are clustered together by the mounting of at least one extra spike adjacent each end of the spike bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TOBACCO STICK FOR SUSPENDING TOBACCO LEAVES WITH SPIKES THROUGH THEIR UPPER BROAD LEAF SECTIONS BELOW THE LEAF SECTIONS OF THEIR STEM, COMPRISING A PAIR OF BARS PIVOTED TOGETHER AT ONE END TO OPEN AND PARALLEL OPPOSED POSITIONS, SAID BARS BEING COMPLEMENTARY AND SUPPORTED IN STAGGERED RELATION TO EACH OTHER WHEN MOVED TO PARALLEL OPPOSED POSITION TO PROVIDE A HANDLE AT EACH END THEREOF, ONE OF SAID BARS HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ELONGATED ALIGNED SPIKES PROJECTING THEREFROM AND THE OTHER OF SAID BARS BEING FORMED WITH AN ELONGATED COUNTERSUNK PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE ENDS OF SAID SPIKES WHEN THE BARS ARE TOGETHER, AND MEANS TO HOLD THE SAID BARS TOGETHER, TO THEREBY PIERCE AND RETAIN THE UPPER BROAD LEAF SECTIONS OF TOBACCO LEAVES THEREIN, SAID BARS BEING PIVOTED TOGETHER AT ONE END IN SPACED RELATION IN A U-SHAPED CLAMP AND WHEREIN SAID BARS ARE SEPARABLE AT THEIR RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE ENDS FOR RETENTION TOGETHER BY SAID HOLDING MEANS, A PIVOT FOR SAID HOLDING MEANS, SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING SWINGABLE ON SAID PIVOT TO AND FROM A BAR HOLDING POSITION, AND A FRICTION ELEMENT ON SAID PIVOT ENGAGEABLE WITH A PORTION OF SAID HOLDING MEANS AND A PORTION OF ONE OF SAID BARS ADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLY RETAIN SAID HOLDING MEANS IN ANY POSITION TO WHICH THE SAME IS MOVED. 